


Step-brother

by yuraxchan



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Half-Sibling Incest, Haphephobia, M/M, Trauma, mentions of bullying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2015-05-27
Packaged: 2018-04-01 12:38:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4020052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuraxchan/pseuds/yuraxchan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Chanyeol thinks his step-brother is weird but later finds out that Jongdae has the Haphephobia, due to his past. Although being Jongdae's brother, he is the last one to know of Jongdae's condition and his classmates' bullying sessions during after school hours."</p><p>Haphephobia is the fear of touching or being touched.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Step-brother

**Author's Note:**

> Written for exopromptmeme@LJ

 

 

Slamming the door behind him, Chanyeol toed off his shoes before pushing them against the wall. He shuffled quietly towards the kitchen to see if anyone was home, then took off his jacket and cap while singing the new Bruno Mars’ song, Uptown Funk, really loudly.  
  
His step-brother was supposed to be home, finishing earlier than Chanyeol, but the house was silent and no one answered when he called. Shrugging, Chanyeol went to put his things in his room, throwing them on his bed before heading back towards the kitchen.  
  
Feeling thirsty, he took a glass off the cupboard to fill it with water, keeping it for later, and opened a can of beer. His father hid the cans from him a month ago, when he came back home drunk at 4 AM and woke everyone up, but Chanyeol found them anyway and drank beer from time to time when no one was home.  
  
What they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them right?  
  
Putting the other cans back in their right place, he burped loudly and made his way to the living room. Plopping himself on the couch, he grabbed the remote and turned the TV on. He had a few hours to spar until his parents came back and he didn’t want to study yet.  
  
Of course, his step brother would be home soon but Chanyeol didn’t really care, Jongdae wasn’t one to gossip or rat on him anyway. Sure he was kind of quiet and weird sometimes but he wasn’t a bad guy. It has been about eight months since they started living together, Chanyeol’s dad, Jongdae’s mom, Chanyeol and Jongdae, but the step-brothers still hadn’t warmed up to each other.  
  
It wasn’t that Chanyeol didn’t want to, he really tried at first, but Jongdae was too closed off, never making an effort to talk to him. At some point, Chanyeol stopped trying. Now, he didn’t really care about what his step brother was up to and continued living his life like before.  
  
At first, his father was kind of upset by his attitude towards Jongdae and thought he wasn’t accepting the younger. In Chanyeol’s opinion it was more the other way around, but when he told his dad exactly that he only looked disappointed and sad. Knowing that he had somehow let his father down made Chanyeol feel awful. He couldn’t understand why though, he didn’t do anything wrong after all, it wasn’t his fault if his step-brother and him didn’t get along right?  
  
His father and step-mom had none of it though, and they always looked at him disapprovingly when he brushed off Jongdae as the younger passed him plates at diner, or ignored him when he was in the same room at him. Chanyeol wasn’t being rude, he just didn’t know how to act around Jongdae, so he had chosen to simply live his life as if his step-brother wasn’t there at all.  
  
Maybe it was selfish but he wasn’t the one who decided to live with Jongdae and his mom, his father did and imposed his choice to Chanyeol. Don’t get him wrong, Chanyeol was happy for his father and he liked Jongdae’s mom but it didn’t mean he had to like Jongdae and consider him as a brother.  
  
The front door opened about one hour later and Chanyeol saw Jongdae quickly make his way towards the bathroom, mumbling a “I’m home” without looking up from his feet. Frowning, Chanyeol sighed and turned back to the TV, uninterested.  
  
That evening, the atmosphere was tense. Jongdae seemed quieter than ever and their parents were throwing him worried glances that he didn’t see, his eyes focused on his plate. Chanyeol cleared his throat a few times and tried to make small talk but the adults weren’t listening to him at all, all their attention was on Jongdae.  
  
Annoyed, Chanyeol ate quickly and abruptly got up, his chair rackling on the floor. Jongdae jumped and gasped at the noise, his eyes widening in fright.  
  
“Chanyeol !” His father snapped.  
  
Confused as to what he did wrong this time, he paused, looking between his parents and Jongdae. “What?”  
  
“Don’t be that loud. You surprised us.” His father commented with a gentler tone. “And why are you getting up? Have you finished eating?”  
  
Chanyeol wanted to snort and reply that he surprised  _Jongdae_ , not them, but it would only made things worst. Jongdae had lowered his head once again and wasn’t moving at all, listening quietly to their conversation.  
  
“Yes, I’m not hungry anymore. Can I go back to my room now, please?” He asked with a sigh.  
  
His father and Jongdae’s mom exchanged a glance then his dad nodded. Chanyeol left quickly, feeling once more uncomfortable and unwanted in his own home. It has been like this ever since Jongdae came into the picture.  
  
It wasn’t that he hated his step-brother but their parents were always fussing over him for some unknown reason and Chanyeol felt left out. It had been a while since he had a real chat with his dad, before he always made time for his son but now all his attention was on Jongdae.  
  
It was hard for Chanyeol not to get angry at them and not to lash out at Jongdae, even if it wasn’t his fault. The attention his parents, and particularly his father, were giving Jongdae pissed him off. He had a good personality, good marks, friends, he was good in music and could play a few instruments, and he wasn’t the rebellious type either.  
  
Overall, he wasn’t a bad son. Sure, he got drunk a few times and did some stupid things with his friends but who didn’t? He was just a healthy teenager who was experiencing life and lived it to the fullest.  
  
He didn’t get it at all.  
  
He ended waking up late the morning after, having forgotten to set his alarm up. He had been too busy brooding about the situation at home.  
  
Jongdae was in the bathroom and Chanyeol knocked a few times, in a hurry to go to the toilet and to take a shower. When the younger didn’t open the door after two minutes, he banged loudly on the door.  
  
“Jongdae!” He called out, frustrated. “Come on, open the door!”  
  
He called a few more times but Jongdae still wasn’t opening the door. Still edgy about the day before, the older kicked the door with his foot.  
  
“Open the fucking door,” He yelled at the top of his lungs. “Jongdae! Fuck.”  
  
Alerted by the noise, his step-mother practically ran to him, concerned. “What happened? Is Jongdae in here? Is he hurt?”  
  
“I don’t know, he doesn’t want to open the fucking door!” He answered back, none too gently. “I’m going to be late, fuck! Jongdae!”  
  
“Chanyeol! Stop screaming at my son.” She reprimanded him.  
  
Gritting his teeth, Chanyeol saw red. “I wouldn’t scream if he would open. the. damn. door.”  
  
His step-mother was going to reply when the door finally opened. Her attitude changed immediately when Jongdae appeared. She smiled at him gently. “Jongdae? Are you okay, honey?”  
  
His step-brother nodded and Chanyeol rolled his eyes, grimacing. He wanted to ask the younger why he hadn’t opened the door sooner but he didn’t want to get yell at by Jongdae’s mother. Silently seething, he pushed the door open with his foot and gave Jongdae a shove.  
  
The younger jumped and shrank on himself, looking terrified by the simple contact of Chanyeol’s arm on his shoulder. Looking at him weirdly, Chanyeol sighed and ignored him, peeling off his T-shirt and boxers before entering the shower.  
  
The water blocked Jongdae and his mom’s conversation until the door was closed. He was finally alone. Chanyeol scrubbed at himself, still angry and outraged by Jongdae’s behavior. What was wrong with him?  
  
When he got out of the bathroom, Jongdae and his mom were already gone and the house was silent. Despite being calmer after a warm shower, he was glad to be left alone.  Some quietness was always welcomed now that he wasn’t leaving alone with his father anymore.  
  
  
  
  
  
Jongdae was eating alone when Chanyeol saw him at the canteen. He paused, then shook his head and made his way to his friends’ table, smiling at them as he sat down. However, he couldn’t help but to throw a few glances at his step-brother, feeling suddenly curious. Why was he always alone? He wasn’t making any efforts to socialize and it has been already eight months since he transferred in Chanyeol’s school. Something was definitely wrong with him.  
  
  
  
  
  
Chanyeol didn’t want to immediately go home after class, so he hung out with his friends in front of the school. Baekhyun, his best friend, had brought cigarettes (like he sometimes would) and the three of them shared a pack. They were laughing at one of Baekhyun’s joke when Jongin, the younger of them, stopped and pointed at something or rather someone coming out of the school building.  
  
“Isn’t that your brother?” He asked.  
  
“Step-brother,” Chanyeol corrected him before following his gaze. “And yeah…that’s him. I don’t know why he’s still at school.”  
  
“Are you still avoiding each other?” Jongin continued. “He’s living with you, you should be nicer to him.”  
  
Chanyeol shoved him on the shoulder. “Shut up.”  
  
“He’s right you know, Jongdae is always alone at school, why don’t you tell him to come with us?” Baekhyun added with a frown.  
  
Shrugging, Chanyeol threw his cigarette away. “He’s weird. He won’t talk to me anyway so drop it.” Even as he said this, he couldn’t help but look back at Jongdae, the younger making his way towards them.  
  
Looking closely at him, Chanyeol narrowed his eyes. Jongdae was walking funny.  
  
A little concerned and knowing his parents would yell at him if they knew he didn’t help Jongdae, Chanyeol jogged towards him, stopping right in front of him. Jongdae looked up and took a step back, griping his bag harder before relaxing a little when he recognized Chanyeol.  
  
“Hey, why are you still here? Did you hurt yourself?” He asked.  
  
Jongdae shook his head.  
  
“Come on, you’re walking weirdly. Did you get hurt in sport?” He pressed, looking at his right foot. Jongdae was making sure his foot didn’t touch the ground, Chanyeol noted.  
  
Jongdae bit his lips and nodded once, breathing out a “yes”. He looked uncomfortable but mostly tired.  
  
“Do you need help walking home?” Baekhyun intervened, creeping up on Chanyeol.  
  
The latter jumped and hit his best friend, cursing a “Baek! You scared me! Fuck!” while Baekhyun made fun of his reaction and hit him back harder.  
  
Jongdae had taken another step back at the commotion. Chanyeol decided to ignore it and tried to take his bag from him but his step-brother tensed up, stumbling back and nearly falling on his butt. Chanyeol reacted quickly and stabilized him, catching him by the shoulders…before immediately releasing him when Jongdae showed that same terrified expression he had been wearing in the morning.  
  
The atmosphere was awkward after that, no one knowing what to say or do. Baekhyun was looking at Chanyeol with questions in his eyes and Jongdae was looking anywhere but at them, frozen. Finally, Chanyeol cleared his throat and picked up Jongdae’s bag which fell on the ground and put it on his shoulder, offering his hand to his step-brother next.  
  
Jongdae looked at Chanyeol’s hand, unsure. His own hand was twitching, as if he wanted to reach for him but couldn’t. Baekhyun was shifting from one foot to another, silent for once.  
  
“You won’t be able to walk home alone.” Chanyeol reasoned, smiling at him reassuringly.  
  
“I…” Jongdae began, his eyes sad and shiny. He looked small and fragile and Chanyeol’s heart ached. He kind of regretted not trying harder with Jongdae seeing how vulnerable he looked.  
  
Chanyeol wanted to ask him if he wanted him to carry him, but if Jongdae didn’t even want to take his hand he certainly wouldn’t get on his back either.  
  
“Do you want to take my bike?” Baekhyun offered. “I can take the bus. You can always bring it back tomorrow.”  
  
“Thanks man,” Chanyeol replied with a smile, grateful. “I’ll bring it back tomorrow morning without a scratch.”  
  
“You better!” His friend warned him, punching him in the stomach for good measure. Chanyeol whined and kicked him the butt when he turned around. Waving his hand at his friends, he looked back at his step-brother. “Stay here.” He said, going to retrieve Baekhyun’s bike from the bike rack.  
  
When he came back, Jongdae hadn’t moved an inch. He put the bike in front of him and held it steady while Jongdae clumsily hopped on. Chanyeol made sure not to touch the younger, having learned his lesson.  
  
It was dark when they arrived at home. Chanyeol left Jongdae in front of the door while he put away Baekhyun’s bike in the garage. Then, he opened the front door and waited for Jongdae to go in before closing it.  
  
Their parents appeared in front of them when they heard them and Chanyeol hadn’t the chance to say anything before he got slapped by his father. Stunned, he gaped at his dad. He couldn’t even remember the last time his father slapped him.  
  
Jongdae had made himself look smaller and was eying them worriedly. He still looked terrified though. Chanyeol’s father looked guilty, not for slapping his son, but for Jongdae, and that made Chanyeol angry. Why would his father be more worried about Jongdae than  _him_ when he slapped  _him_? It didn’t make sense.  
  
“Why are you home so late? And what happened to Jongdae? Did you hurt him?” His father shrieked. “Your mom told me what happened this morning!”  
  
“She’s not my mom.” Was all Chanyeol could reply. He knew it wasn’t the right thing to say but he was too hurt to care about that. Even if he knew he wasn’t being fair to his step-mom.  
  
Chanyeol’s father looked furious and ready to hit him again and Chanyeol recoiled, lowering his head. He could feel his cheek becoming hot and red. Maybe that would leave a mark.  
  
“Chanyeol and his friend helped me getting home,” Jongdae stepped in. “I fell in the stairs at school.”  
  
Jongdae’s mother looked worried and gestured for him to follow her, likely to look at his injury. They left Chanyeol and his dad alone in the corridor, both of them awkwardly staring at each other.  
  
“Go to your room, we’ll talk later.” His father commanded.  
  
Chanyeol passed by him without uttering a single word. He stopped in front of Jongdae’s room and hesitated before dropping his bad in front of the door. Who knew what would happen if entered Jongdae’s room without permission now…  
  
As soon as he closed the door of his room, he threw his own bag away and let himself fall on his bed, resting his warm cheek on the cool sheet. He was so tired of everything.  
  
A few minutes later someone knocked on his door and he groaned. He didn’t want to see anyone nor talk to anyone. There was a silence, then another knock.  
  
“Come in!” He finally said, sighing.  
  
Jongdae’s face appeared and Chanyeol frowned. It was the first time his step-brother came to see him. He sat up and motioned for him to come towards him. Jongdae didn’t close the door, letting it half open and keeping his distance. Chanyeol didn’t comment on it, getting used to it by now.  
  
“I’m sorry for your father.” Jongdae began.  
  
“It’s not your fault.” He answered with a shrug, not meeting Jongdae’s eyes.  
  
He wasn’t lying, he didn’t blame Jongdae, but a small part of him resented his step-brother for it nonetheless. Not that he would tell him.  
  
“Why did you lie?” He asked suddenly, remembering what Jongdae said to their parents.  
  
Jongdae lowered his head, biting his lips, but didn’t respond. Sighing, Chanyeol let it go and waited for the younger to talk or leave.  
  
“There is something you need to know, about me.” He confessed, playing with his fingers.  
  
Chanyeol perked up at that and looked at him expectantly.  
  
“If I transferred to your school it wasn’t because we started living with you and your dad,” He paused before adding. “Well, not exactly. It was because I was bullied at my old school.”  
  
Chanyeol licked his lips and frowned. Bullied? Jongdae? His step-brother must have seen his confusion because he went on.  
  
“It wasn’t small shoves or insults you know…It was more serious than that. It was…bad. Really bad.” He whispered sadly. “At first I didn’t tell my mother, I didn’t want to worry her, but then I didn’t know what to do anymore. It became too much, I was always humiliated, cursed at, shoved, hit…” He looked up. “…touched.”  
  
Not knowing what to answer to that strange confession, Chanyeol cleared his throat, rubbing the nape of his neck. He was feeling rather uncomfortable with the conversation. He hadn’t seen anyone being bullied before so he never had to think about this kind of thing. Moreover, he wasn’t sure about the meaning behind the “touched” part and the implication scared him a little. “But now, it’s better right? Are you still bullied?”  
  
Jongdae nodded. “Yeah, but that’s nothing…”  
  
“You should stay with me, and my friends, so that no one will bully you.” Chanyeol offered, feeling guilty. He felt stupid not knowing what to say or how to act.  
  
His step-brother offered him a small smile and Chanyeol stared. In the eight months they had known each other it was the first time he saw Jongdae’s smile.  He had a pretty smile, he noted. Shaking his head at the thought, he smiled back.  
  
  
  
  
  
Chanyeol’s dad tried to talk to him the morning after but Chanyeol avoided him like the plague. He really didn’t want to talk to his father for now. He was still angry at him. How could his father think he would hurt Jongdae?  
  
True to his words, Chanyeol and his friends welcomed Jongdae in their circle and let the younger hang out with them - even if he didn’t really participate in their conversations and didn’t laugh at their jokes.  
  
Jongdae would still jump when someone came too close to him or brushed his arm, and he would feel guilty afterwards, but Chanyeol would grin at him to reassure him, making his step-brother relax instantly.  
  
There was a problem though: Baekhyun loved skinship and couldn’t help but try touching Jongdae like he would with Chanyeol and Jongin. Sometimes he poked him or held his wrist lightly, and if before Jongdae always reacted as if he had been burned, after a while he stopped tensing and looking frightened.  
  
But of course, it was too good to be true. One day, Baekhyun fucked up. He forgot to be careful and ruined everything when he hugged him.  
  
The effect was immediate. Jongdae started to panic, struggling to free himself. He was trembling like a leaf and his face showed that awful terrified expression. It scared the shit out of Chanyeol and all their friends. They had to call the nurse and the director, and Jongdae was sent home.  
  
Jongdae felt really guilty afterwards, he wouldn’t even look Chanyeol in the eyes when he came home and hid in his room, refusing to eat. Finally, Chanyeol decided to bring him something to eat when he refused to come out of his room to join them at diner.  
  
“Jongdae?” He called, knocking softly at his door.  
  
He heard some shuffling and then the door opened. Jongdae looked at him in surprise before letting him in. The younger sat cross-legged on his bed and watched as Chanyeol put the tray of food on the floor before sitting in front of him.  
  
“You should eat.” He advised, worried.  
  
“I’m sorry,” Jongdae whispered. “I didn’t want to scare you guys…”  
  
His step-brother shook his head and smiled, coming closer. “It’s fine, Baekhyun shouldn’t have hugged you. He feels bad and apologizes by the way.” He hesitated before putting his hand on the bed next to Jongdae’s legs.  
  
The younger lifted his head and bit his lips. His hand hovered on Chanyeol’s one, brushing it gently. Chanyeol grinned at him.  His step-brother relaxed as well, now more at ease, and smiled back.  
  
They kept quiet while Jongdae ate, Chanyeol busying himself by looking around the room. It was simple and tidy, but colorless. Then, maybe colors would be too aggressive for Jongdae. With his  _condition_.  
  
Jongdae’s mom explained him that Jongdae had Haphephobia, she didn’t really talked about what happened to her son but with what Jongdae told him before Chanyeol could fill in the blanks. Chanyeol hadn’t known what to respond to her, feeling uneasy about the matter. However, now he could understand why their parents were always so careful and attentive with his step-brother.  
  
Honestly, Chanyeol felt bad for being jealous and acting like an asshole with him before. But, what was done was done and he couldn’t erase the past. He could make it up to Jongdae though. He definitely would.  
  
“Say,” Jongdae tries when had finished eating. “Could you stay with me tonight?”  
  
Chanyeol opened his mouth, surprised.  
  
“I don’t want to be alone, I know I’ll get nightmares.” He grimaced. “And it’s not like I can ask my mother to sleep with me now…”  
  
Nodding once, Chanyeol looked at Jongdae’s single bed and frowned. There was no way they could sleep on that together without their bodies touching. “Um, should I sleep on the floor?”  
  
Jongdae looked guilty at that, playing with his fingers, before acquiescing. “Is that…okay?”  
  
How could Chanyeol resist Jongdae’s hopeful gaze? He couldn’t.  
  
“Fine!” He smiled, getting up to take away the now empty tray. He didn’t close the door behind him, knowing he would go back, and headed towards the kitchen. He put the plate, fork, knife and glass in the dishwasher, washed the tray and stored it away.  
  
He was drying his hands when his step-mom arrived, offering him a small smile. “Is he feeling better?”  
  
“Yeah, he ate everything. Don’t worry.” Chanyeol answered kindly. “I, uh, I’m going to sleep in his room tonight. He asked me.” He added quickly.  
  
His step-mother looked baffled. “Really? That’s new.”  
  
Chanyeol hummed simply.  
  
“Thank you, Chanyeol. For helping Jongdae.” She smiled at him gratefully, patting his shoulder. “You’re a great kid.”  
  
Rubbing the back of his neck, he mumbled. “It’s nothing.”  
  
His step-mother offered him another smile, looking at him with affection. “You should talk with your father, he feels guilty for slapping you, and not being present for you this days. I know it’s been hard on you, I’m sorry about that.”  
  
Chanyeol looked down, suddenly feeling like crying. He missed his dad. “I will talk to him. And…I’m sorry too for this morning. And for Jongdae, I guess.”  
  
“Don’t apologize, you didn’t know. Jongdae didn’t want you to know, he didn’t want you to treat him differently. He’s quite fond of you, you know.” She confessed.  
  
“Really?” To say he was surprised was an understatement. He had always thought Jongdae hated him.  He smiled at Jongdae’s mom and went back to the younger’s room.  
  
Jongdae was looking at his computer when he arrived. He paused and shuffled to let Chanyeol sit on his bed. Putting some distance between them, Chanyeol sat by his side and looked at his screen.  
  
“A movie?” He asked.  
  
“Yes, we could watch it before going to sleep?” He offered.  
  
Chanyeol nodded. “A movie seems good.”  
  
  
  
  
  
When the movie was finally over, Chanyeol had a crick in his neck. He had to stay in a sitting position for one hour and a half and his muscles were protesting. He had tried to shift when he could without attracting Jongdae’s attention but it was kind of hard with the younger sitting on the bed. The mattress would sag when he moved.  
  
If Jongdae was short and tiny, Chanyeol wasn’t and it was difficult for him to stay immobile for a long period of time without stretching. That was one of the disadvantages of a tall person. He was brought back down to earth when Jongdae shut down his notebook and got up to put it on his desk.  
  
Now that he had the bed all for himself, Chanyeol stretched his legs and groaned at the feeling. His step-brother looked at him strangely, staring at him and Chanyeol suddenly felt self-conscious. He had taken all the bed with his gangly arms and legs.  
“My legs were dead,” He explained softly, blushing a little. “Should we go to sleep?”  
  
Jongdae nodded but didn’t move. Chanyeol waited for a minute, confused, then cleared his throat. “Oh, yeah. You need to change.” He muttered. “And I need to change too. Ah.”  
  
He pointed to the door. “I’ll go change now!” He smiled awkwardly and all but jumped from the bed, nearly falling on his butt before exiting the room and closing the door.  
  
Man, that was embarrassing, he thought to himself.  
  
Once he was back in his room, he face planted on the bed and groaned.  _Get a grip Park Chanyeol!_  He didn’t know why he was always so awkward with Jongdae. If he didn’t know better he would have thought he had crush. He snorted at the crazy thought and waited a few minutes before changing to his pajama.  
  
When he deemed himself presentable, he joined Jongdae, knocking only once before entering. The sight of Jongdae standing half naked in the middle of his room wasn’t what he had imagined he would find. He froze.  
  
Jongdae looked like a deer in headlights, as surprised as him. He hastily took a shirt from his wardrobe and pulled it on. Chanyeol closed the door and avoided looking at him, the image of his small body and pale skin still imprinted on his mind.  
Jongdae was gorgeous. Kind of skinny, but still gorgeous.  
  
Chanyeol knew he was going into dangerous territory with his thoughts on his step-brother but he wasn’t doing anything wrong right? He was just stating the truth. There was nothing wrong with finding his step-brother attractive. Nothing.  
  
Well, he thought so anyway.  
  
And even if it was, he couldn’t careless, they were more step than brother after all, whatever the hell that meant. Like, Jongdae wasn’t his real brother, they didn’t share the same blood or the same parent. They were just living under the same roof. Yeah, no big deal.  
  
He sat on the floor, his back against Jongdae’s bed, and waited in silence for the younger to change. He heard the rustling of fabric and resisted the urge to look, knowing the younger was taking off his boxers to slip on his pajama bottoms. Oh man, that boy was doing things to his heart he didn’t think possible.  
  
“Are you really going to sleep on the floor?” Jongdae asked timidly, kneeling on his bed behind Chanyeol.  
  
The older of the two turned around and nodded. “Yeah, that’s fine. Do you have a blanket for me though?”  
  
Jongdae looked pensive then went back to his wardrobe, getting a duvet out of it. “It’s warm.” He explained, offering it to his step-brother.  
  
Their hands brushed when Chanyeol took it from him and Jongdae gasped. “Sorry!” Chanyeol squeaked, his eyes widening in fear.  
  
His step-brother’s shoulders sagged. “No, I’m sorry.” He looked guilty and sad, and Chanyeol felt a pang in his heart.  
  
“It’s fine you know, don’t feel guilty, it’s not your fault.” He reassured him, smiling sincerely.  
  
Jongdae smiled back and hopped onto his bed, slipping under the sheets. He waited for Chanyeol to be comfortable before turning off the lights. “Goodnight!”  
  
“Goodnight, Jongdae.” Chanyeol whispered.  
  
  
  
  
  
Chanyeol couldn’t fall asleep. He tried to find a good position but his back was hurting because of the hard floor. Besides, he was feeling cold. Sighing, he crossed his arms behind his head and fixed his gaze on the ceiling. He could hear Jongdae’s breathing but he didn’t know if he was asleep or not yet. He hoped he was, Jongdae needed to rest.  
  
When the clock struck 4AM, Chanyeol was still wide awake. He was tired but his body was aching and he couldn’t fall asleep in this conditions. Suddenly, he heard noises and Jongdae’s head appeared above him.  
  
The younger looked sleepy but his eyes were wide open. “You can’t sleep?” He asked with a husky voice.  
  
Chanyeol bit his lips. “Yeah…”  
  
“Are you cold?” Jongdae continued.  
  
His step-brother nodded guiltily. The younger hesitated, looking torn. “Come on, join me on the bed.” He stated finally.  
  
“Are you-” Jongdae cut him off. “Yes, I’m sure. Quick, it’s cold.”  
  
Chanyeol got up and slid under the cover, being careful not to touch Jongdae. Their legs brushed but the younger didn’t react at all, surprising Chanyeol. Maybe he was too sleepy to notice? Jongdae turned his back to him and went back to sleep. Just like that.  
  
Chanyeol just hoped he wouldn’t panic tomorrow morning. Too exhausted to think about it any longer, he ended falling asleep as well.  
  
  
  
  
  
By chance, it was Chanyeol who woke up first.  
  
They moved a lot while sleeping and Jongdae was now tucked against his chest. His breath was fanning over Chanyeol’s collarbone and his arm was thrown over his waist. Chanyeol’s own hands were around his step-brother’s body, cradling him against his torso.  
  
Jongdae would flip if he woke up in this position.  
  
Chanyeol tried to remove his arm from Jongdae’s waist but his step-brother stirred when he moved, causing him to freeze. Gulping, he waited a bit before trying again. This time, Jongdae woke up, his eyelashes fluttering against Chanyeol’s skin.  
  
The older one stopped breathing, scared of Jongdae’s reaction, but the younger simply drew back. He blinked a few times and looked up at Chanyeol, muttering a small “hi”. His hair was a mess, his eyes were still half open, and he had a trail of saliva at the corner of his mouth. He looked sleepy and cute and Chanyeol resisted the urge to coo at him.  
  
“Hi,” He mumbled, not knowing what to do. “Did you sleep well?”  
  
Jongdae hummed and closed his eyes. Chanyeol waited for him to react, knowing it was bound to happen. He hadn’t had to wait long before Jongdae abruptly opened his eyes and screamed. Chanyeol jumped at the sound and fell from the bed, taking the sheets with him.  
  
The scream alerted their parents, both of them opening the door of Jongdae’s room in panic. Chanyeol was still lying on the floor, motionless, and his eyes looking back and forth from his step-brother to their parents whereas the younger sat on the bed, hugging himself.  
  
“What happened?” Jongdae’s mother asked, looking disapprovingly at Chanyeol.  
  
The latter groaned and tried to push away the sheets. “I couldn’t sleep and I was cold, Jongdae offered me to sleep on the bed with him, then he woke up and screamed.” He deadpanned, annoyed.  
  
His step-brother’s expression shifted from fear to sadness in a heartbeat, making Chanyeol regret his words. “I mean, I shouldn’t have slept on his bed.”  
  
“You should go back to your room Chanyeol.” His father simply said, and Chanyeol snorted. He could feel his dad’s suspicion and that made him angrier than before. But he was tired of fighting with his father, and of constantly trying to defend himself. He got up and shot one last look at Jongdae before getting out.  
  
The younger invited himself in his room a few minutes later, looking all apologetic, and Chanyeol despite being angry couldn’t stay mad at him. Jongdae sat at the end of the bed, playing with his fingers.  
  
“I’m sorry,” He began. “You always get yelled at because of me.”  
  
Chanyeol just shrugged. “It’s fine, I’m used to it. It’s not your fault anyway, I should be more careful.”  
  
His step-brother bit his lips and came closer, until their legs were nearly touching. “I slept really well you know. No nightmares, nothing.”  
  
It brought a smile to Chanyeol’s lips. “I’m glad then.”  
  
“Next time I won’t scream, I promise.” He said, determined.  
  
That made Chanyeol pause. “Next time?”  
  
The younger nodded and knitted his brows, his hand already hovering above Chanyeol’s leg. Speechless, Chanyeol didn’t move, holding his breath. Could Jongdae do it? His step-brother’s face betrayed his fear but he still looked set on his objective.  
  
“You don’t have-” He cut himself off when Jongdae’s hand came in contact with his pajama pants, gripping the tissue tightly. “Oh. You did it.” He breathed out, amazed.  
  
Jongdae shook his head. “No, not yet. It’s just tissue.”  
  
Chanyeol observed him attentively as he slid his hand towards his step-brother’s ankle where the pajama didn’t hide the skin. Jongdae paused and hesitated, before finally touching Chanyeol’s warm skin. His fingers were trembling but he didn’t pull them off, looking up at Chanyeol with a watery smile.  
  
His step-brother’s heartbeat sped up and he could feel his eyes get wet. Jongdae really did it. And all that for Chanyeol. He really wanted to hug the younger right now but he knew it wouldn’t be a good idea at all.  
  
“It’s unfair that Baekhyun could touch me and not you, right?” Jongdae offered with a small smile.  
  
Chanyeol cleared his throat. “Yeah…what does this minus have that I don’t anyway?” He joked.  
  
“He’s small, like me.” Jongdae replied, looking guilty.  
  
The older looked baffled at this. “Do I…scare you?” He never thought about the possibility of his height scaring Jongdae off before. Come to think of it, it made sense after all.  
  
Jongdae kept his fingers on his ankle and nodded stiffly. “The bullies…were tall.” He explained softly. “It’s stupid I know…”  
  
“No. It’s not. I’m sorry…I didn’t know.” Chanyeol replied. If only he could find the bastards who hurt Jongdae, he would kill them without hesitation. “Maybe I could help you slowly getting used to me?”  
  
The younger beamed at him and nodded eagerly, pleased. “I would like that.”  
  
Chanyeol’s heart swelled at the sight of the younger’s wide smile. He would help Jongdae get better, no matter what. He wanted his step-brother to heal and to be able to live a normal life again.  
  
Chanyeol smiled back.

 


End file.
